Re: custom backspace

[Sam Halliday <sam.halliday@gmail.com>]

On Wednesday, 23 April 2014 00:00:46 UTC+1, Sam Halliday  wrote:
> I'd really like an emacs configuration whereby backspace will go back one layer of indentation if the previous character is an indented whitespace, for all programming language modes.
> 
> 
> Also, I'd really like control-backspace to be contextual so that it will eat up all the whitespace if the previous character is whitespace, or delete a word (which I think is the default) if the previous character is a non-whitespace character.


I should add some information to this to explain why I need some help:

1. "m-x describe-key" tells me that my "backspace" or DEL is bound to

 (backward-delete-char-untabify ARG &optional KILLP)
  
  with value untabify. But if type lots of spaces (e.g. in the scratch or my .emacs) and then press backspace, it only goes back one character at a time... not untabbing.

2. describe on my control-backspace reveals that this is bound to C-backspace. But when I try to create any form of binding for C-backspace in my .emacs I get an error that control must be followed by a single character... so I don't have a clue how to rebind this.

Help greatly appreciated :-)